A Trip to Charming Coonoor and Kotagiri in Nilgiri - II

"The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see" ~ Chesterton. And we started our five day travel trail on the same note to the majestic blue mountain range Nilgiri as a traveler, avoiding most of the popular tourist spots in Nilgiri district, treading the off beaten path. In the bargain we could connect with the nature and to those innocent people married to tough mountain life.

A Trip to Ooty through the Picturesque Blue Mountain Ranges in Nilgiri - I

We had no concrete travel plans this year as re-modelling the house, painting, developing our farm house and many such long pending activities were on the wish list.
Sweltering heat in the city, monotonous summer holidays and the travel bug in us had different plans for us. Time was the big constraint in finalizing the destination, as we had few days of holidays left. Kanha National Park, Periyar sanctuary and a few other tourist places came to mind, but they all needed prior bookings for jungle cottages and the rides.
A friend suggested to visit off beat places in Ooty, strange but its true that we never visited Ooty though staying very close to this lovely place. This mountain city is overcrowded now and has lost its charm due to too many tourists travelling and making it more of a commercial place. But the weather is perfect to beat the heat and relax, away from the sweaty Chennai in May.

Crispy Lentil Snacks - Daal Vada

Any Indian meal is incomplete without tangy pickles, crisp poppadoms and some sort of deep fried accompaniments. And when my friend Prerna, Barbara and Kathy announced 'Indian Food Palooza' at their blogs, I thought of taking these Crispy Lentil Vadas along with me to join their on going event.

A perfect tea time snack, a popular street food and a must during most of the festive meals in India, these Daal Vadas or deep fired crisp lentil cakes are a real delicacy.

Chocolate Cupcakes Filled with Marshmallow

Hello friends, its been a long time I posted a recipe on Different Strokes. Lite Bite kept me busy with a couple of projects and events I was involved in for the last few months. I know this does not sound a good reason to stay away from all my lovely readers here. Have done loads of festive cooking, tried many new and authentic recipes which are all treasured in the drafts.

This Chocolaty Marshmallow filled Cupcakes is one such treats I baked for the New year party. I just wanted to give a different look to the same old chocolate muffins and filled each one with store bought marshmallows. Needless to say these were a hit with all the children and adults as well.